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U.S. Constitution Title: ACLU Sues Over Security for Bush Protest & "Has This Country Gone Completely Insane?" ACLU Sues Over Security for Bush Protest Thursday 06 July 2006 Medford, Ore. - The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Thursday alleging the U.S. Secret Service and state and local police protecting President Bush during a 2004 campaign appearance discriminated against protesters when they cleared the streets outside where the president was eating dinner. The class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court contends that police acting on orders from the Secret Service used unreasonable force to move some 200 people peacefully protesting against the Iraq war in Jacksonville while allowing pro-Bush demonstrators to remain standing on sidewalks. "Our primary motive is to prevent this kind of activity from happening again in the future," said David Fidanque, executive director of the Oregon ACLU. On Oct. 16, 2004, President Bush made a campaign speech at the Jackson County fairgrounds and later had dinner on the patio of the Jacksonville Inn within earshot of protesters before spending the night at an inn cottage. Protest organizer Shelley Elkovich said they took pains to talk to police to be sure the atmosphere would be safe and were told that everyone would be fine if they stayed on the sidewalks. Demonstrators told the ACLU that about 40 police officers in riot gear moved them away from the inn. Jacksonville Police Chief David Towe's testimony in a criminal case against two demonstrators that police moved under orders from the Secret Service gave them the evidence they needed to file the lawsuit, Temple said. Spokesmen for the Secret Service, state police and the town of Jacksonville said they would have no comment on pending litigation. The plaintiffs are seven protesters and the Jackson County Pacific Green Party. The lawsuit seeks an injunction barring the Secret Service and police from discriminating against protesters in the future. It also seeks unspecified compensatory damages for demonstrators who were injured, and punitive damages for those who were denied their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Go to Original Friday 30 June 2006 This afternoon, drinking a cup of coffee while sitting in the Jesse Brown V.A. Medical Center on Chicago's south side, a Veterans Administration cop walked up to me and said, "OK, you've had your 15 minutes, it's time to go." "Huh?", I asked intelligently, not quite sure what he was talking about. "You can't be in here protesting," officer Adkins said, pointing to my Veterans For Peace shirt. "Well, I'm not protesting, I'm having a cup of coffee," I returned, thinking that logic would convince Adkins to go back to his earlier duties of guarding against serious terrorists. Flipping his badge open, he said, "No, not with that shirt. You're protesting and you have to go." Beginning to get his drift, I said firmly, "Not before I finish my coffee." He insisted that I leave, but still not quite believing my ears, I tried one more approach to reason. "Hey, listen. I'm a veteran. This is a V.A. facility. I'm sitting here not talking to anybody, having a cup of coffee. I'm not protesting and you can't kick me out." "You'll either go or we'll arrest you," Adkins threatened. "Well, you'll just have to arrest me," I said, wondering what strange land I was now living in. You know the rest. Handcuffed, led away to the facility's security office past people with surprised looks on their faces, read my rights, searched, and written up. The officer who did the formalities, Eric Ousley, was professional in his duties. When I asked him if he was a vet, it turned out he had been a hospital corpsman in the Navy. We exchanged a couple sea stories. He uncuffed me early. And he allowed as to how he would only charge me with disorderly conduct, letting me go on charges of criminal trespass and weapons possession - a pocket knife - which he said would have to be destroyed (something I rather doubt since it was a nifty Swiss Army knife with not only a bottle opener, but a tweezers AND a toothpick). After informing me I could either pay the $275 fine on the citation or appear in court, Ousley escorted me off the premises, warning me if I returned with "that shirt" on, I'd be arrested and booked into jail. I'm sure I could go back to officers Adkins' and Ousleys' fiefdom with a shirt that said, "Nuke all the hajis," or "Show us your tits," or any number of truly obscene things and no one would care. Just so it's not "that shirt" again. And just for the record? I'm not paying the fine. I'll see Adkins and Ousley and Dubya's Director of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, if he wants to show up, in United States District Court on the appointed date. And if there's a Chicago area attorney who'd like to take the case, I'd really like to sue them - from Dubya on down. I have to believe that this whole country has not yet gone insane, just the government. This kind of behavior can't be tolerated. It must be challenged. -------- Mike Ferner served as a Navy corpsman during Vietnam and is a member of Veterans For Peace. He is participating in the Voices for Creative Nonviolence's 30-day, 320-mile "Walk for Justice," from Springfield to North Chicago, Illinois, to reclaim funding for the common good and away from war.
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#1. To: Jhoffa_ (#0)
All presidents should be forced to walk through the public streets unguarded at least once a year. If they are a good president people will leave them alone. If they are a fucking traitor....well we will get a new president.
Just once a year? I can a see a minor escort for a president, but certainly not all the emperical fanfare that Bush gets. A president should naturally be courageous. Andrew Jackson once thrashed a would-be assassin with his cane...
"Be a patriot and a hero. Torture and kill a cop, before they do it to you---because they will." Michael E. Kreca
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